One Man's Quest to Process the Coverage, Characters, and Every Single Pick of the NFL Draft

Draft Rewind: Reggie Kelly

Even after 13 years in the NFL, Kelly hasn't forgotten the magic of draft day.

I spoke with tight end Reggie Kelly recently and we turned back the clock 13 years to talk about the 1999 draft, when Kelly was selected in the second round…

The phone rang in Kelly’s house and his dad picked it up. Kelly was a little annoyed, thinking someone was bothering him during the draft, on perhaps the most important day of his life.

But that emotion subsided pretty quickly when he took the phone. On the other end was Dan Reeves, head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

“I got up in an angry mood and all the anger quickly drained away,” Kelly said. “It was none other than the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Dan Reeves. I was in awe, a man who could quite possibly be in the Hall of Fame was calling me, Reggie Kelly, a little country boy from Mississippi…I was ecstatic, I was getting to live out my childhood dreams of being in the NFL.”

In addition to his draft-day memories, Kelly offered a lot of other insight on the draft process that will be featured in the book. He’s a free agent heading into what will be his 14th season in the NFL and his career has been filled with productive plays and plenty of highlights.

But it’s clear that even after all these years, the memories of that draft day 13 years ago still hold a special place in his heart.

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Many thanks to Reggie for the interview. Check out his line of Kyvan salsas and sauces here, which are perfect for tailgating, and follow him on Twitter, @ReggieKelly82